https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBGl8gVeMh0&t=0s

Hello friends. Welcome back. 

On Sunday 12th November I will run the original, authentic, nasty Athens marathon one last time. (forever, for now)

I am doing this again to support the work of Mazí Housing, a grassroots charity through which we work with young men who are traveling alone in Greece.

I might already have given you an impression of what it's like to run a small charity. Maybe I have given you some idea of why I came to Greece several years ago.

I came here because I felt that how we respond to people in vulnerable situations defines us all. I came here to oppose the EU's response to migration, and because I felt I had the skills and experience to support in more humane ways. 

What it really looks like is constantly explaining the basic role of good housing in a human life, and speaking about the essential work we do to people who are looking elsewhere. The world is busy with crises. The NGOs are closing in Greece, and the need for housing and serious support for displaced people is rising.

This is why - again - I am doing the two things I hate more than most other things: 

1. Running, and 
2. Posting on social media.
   

A bit about Mazí
We run two apartments in Athens, providing a safe place to live for 23 men at any given time. 

We support residents to address physical and mental health concerns, develop skills, find work and pursue their goals. 

This breaks the cycle of homelessness, helping each resident to leave prison-like camps, precarious basements, and rough-sleeping on the streets for good. The Greek state has ended its housing support for asylum seekers, and most other NGOs have run out of funds. Mazí are among the last ones still going. I am asking for your support because it is vital to keep our houses running. Please donate, or better yet, run with me. 

After all, providing stable housing isn't a sprint, it's a MARATHON.